


Game Nights

by halcyonhowl (foxmoon)



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: College AU, Fluff, Hurloane, M/M, Magnulia, Romance, avijohann, blupjeans, falling in love over dungeons and dragons, game night au, mild alcohol drinking, mild/brief mentions of arousal in last chapter, sweet flips - Freeform, taako makes a d&d character, to win the affections of a cute boy, various side ships such as
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:28:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26048056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foxmoon/pseuds/halcyonhowl
Summary: Every Saturday, Lup and Barry host game night. Taako usually hides away in his room until one day they invite a new guy from their orchestra class.
Relationships: Kravitz/Taako (The Adventure Zone)
Comments: 87
Kudos: 229





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This started as combo prompts from terezis and daughterofsarenrae on tumblr. Thank you so much for reading. Thank you to anyone who sees this from tumblr and has been following and showing your support, it means a lot to me! 
> 
> This chapter combines parts 1-4 which can also be found on my tumblr at halcyonhowl. Part 5 is up there too, but I'm going to wait until I write the next 3 parts to post them here as chapter 2.

Taako loves and hates game nights. What’s to hate? They’re noisy, they go on for too long, and nobody talks about cool shit. What’s to love is that he gets to cook all day and overhear a bunch of nerds compliment his food while he sequesters himself in the bedroom.

Sometimes. Sometimes he joins in. He loves the shit out of Cards Against Faerun. But if he’s honest, he’s really not good at the games they play. He has to learn too many new rules, and who’s got time for that? They play games nobody’s ever heard of before with names he couldn’t be paid to remember.

So he spends the afternoon with Lup, working on the evening’s spread of munchies, then makes his plate and hides away.

Tonight they’re expecting the usual crowd over at their modest two bedroom off-campus apartment. They’ve made an assortment of finger foods. Lup’s stuffed dates, beer cheese, and homemade pretzels. Taako’s pear and brie crostini, honey BBQ meatballs, and veggie hummus platter. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic sangrias are ready to go by the time the doorbell rings.

Barry, Lup’s boyfriend, arrives early to help set up the card tables, since often they have more than one game going at a time. This time, though, he pushes them together and sets all the chairs around it in one large group. He’s over there for a good while, arranging papers, pencils and a buttload of dice. Taako loses interest. What fuckin’ game needs a stack of books to play? Not one he’s gonna join.

Magnus and Julia soon arrive with an offering of chocolate chip cookies piled on a plate under foil. Sloane and Hurley appear next with a bottle of wine and bags of chips. Taako loses track after that, because the apartment is flooded with folks chatting about work bullshit and which niche board games they brought.

Taako grabs a plate piled with the goods, and weaves through Killian and Carey, Avi and Johann, on his way out of the kitchen and toward the hall.

“Taako, where ya going, babe?” Lup asks.

“Where d’you think? My room to fuckin’ chill and marathon True Blood.”

“Oh, ‘cos a few of us are playing a new game tonight and I thought you might want to check it out.” She opens the wine and sets it out on the counter with a few glasses.

“Unlikely.” Taako pops a stuffed date in his mouth.

Then Barry opens the door, and the most gorgeous man Taako has ever seen enters the apartment. It’s like the gods poured all of the physical attributes Taako finds attractive into one man and set him out in a black button-up and slacks. Smooth dark skin, full lips, broad shoulders, kind, brown eyes. He has long dreads that are swept over one shoulder to reveal a side cut and several ear piercings. They call him Kravitz and tell him it’s good to see him. He brought a plate of brownies and a smile that makes Taako’s knees weak.

Taako realises he is gritting his teeth to keep from blurting out his thoughts. He works his jaw. Reconsiders his plans to disappear into his room.

Kravitz unbuttons his sleeves and rolls them up. He has nice, inked forearms. Something that looks like feathers and a skull. Taako wants to get a closer look, but Kravitz is already sitting down at the nerd table with the others. Barry offers him a set of dice and a few sheets of paper.

“Lu?” Taako asks, mouth a bit dry. “Who’s the new guy?”

She smiles furtively over the rim of her sangria. “Orchestra friend. Sure you don’t wanna play?”

“What are you playing?”

“Dungeons and Dragons.” Taako wincs like the sound of those words might give him a wedgie and toss him in a garbage bin. He gives Kravitz another long look.

Kravitz looks back.

Oh god. _Oh fuck._ Taako immediately turns and rushes to lock himself in his room.

* * *

Kravitz is glad that this first session is all character creation and familiarizing himself with his future party mates. After the week he’s had, he doesn’t have the energy to dive into a campaign, as exciting as it sounds. The food is also incredible. Everyone seems cool. He could enjoy this once a week. 

Barry will be a good DM, he feels. He’s done this before and has a frank, but forgiving energy. Doesn’t come across like he’ll be an hardass about game rules. He’ll be fair, though he’s nervous enough as a 30-something college student that makes it hard for Kravitz to imagine him doing NPC voices. He did mention he took drama the first time he went to college, so anything’s possible.

Kravitz is relieved to see Lucretia, though he’s never met her. His previous experience with gaming has been, well, he’s often the only black nerd at the table. She’s a bit shy, but she opens up the more they talk. They decide to make their characters siblings. 

The stats he rolls are… they’re fine. Barry lets them reroll one stat under 10, which saves his ass. He has a decent gloom stalker ranger underway when he takes a break to get more food.

But the meatballs are gone. Damn. He peers down the hallway as he puts a few veggies and a pile of hummus on his plate. Lup’s brother hasn’t come out since he disappeared back there. He knew Lup has a twin brother, but not much else about him. Taako, she said after he had shut the door earlier, thinks he’s above this stuff, but ask him about a TV show or a recipe and he’ll nerd out for hours. 

Kravitz likes TV and food. 

He puts a couple of pear-and-brie crostini on his plate and is about to turn back for the table, when the bedroom door opens. Taako emerges with his own empty plate and an entirely different outfit that’s somehow tight and loose all at once. It’s the layers of breezy material and how they fall over his frame. Skinny slacks show off ankle. Freckles scatter his medium-brown skin like constellations. ( _Really, Kravitz?_ ) His face, with the hazel-green eyes, dark lashes, high cheekbones, is going to be difficult to get out of his mind. The sun bleached hair worn in a loose, low braid is the same as when he glimpsed him earlier, at least. 

Taako’s not just good-looking, he’s unfairly hot. But is he going out somewhere? Kravitz feels bereft for some reason. He also finds it hard to look away, but he does. It’s rude to stare and ogle. He licks balsamic glaze from the crostini off of his finger.

Taako noisily drops his dish in the sink. 

Kravitz looks up at the clatter. Taako flashes a glance at Kravitz’s plate, and gives him a smile that’s one part smug and two parts smug, but with feeling. 

“Good choices,” he drawls, and leans back against the counter. “I made that hummus myself.”

“It’s all so delicious.” Kravitz knows both twins made the food, but he wasn’t sure which twin made what, or if perhaps they both made a bit of everything. “Especially the meatballs. Bit sad how fast they went. Was hoping for seconds.” 

“Well you’re in luck, my man, Taako’s about to make a second batch.” Taako pushes the long draping sleeves up, makes room on the counter, and gets to work. 

“Wa–” Kravitz has to finish chewing the crostini before he’s able to stop him. “Nah! I didn’t mean – you don’t have to do all that.”

“Pssh, it’s no big. I can make these in my fuckin’ sleep.”

“But if you’re about to go somewhere…”

Lup sidles into the kitchen next to Taako to add her empty plate to the sink. “You going somewhere?”

Taako gestures to the onion he’s about to mince. “If going to blow all their fuckin’ minds with my stovetop brown sugar barbeque meatballs is a place, then ah-yes.” He picks up the knife. “M’outta honey, b-t-dubs.”

“Well put it on the list, doofus.” Lup looks from Taako to Kravitz. “I’m so glad you decided to join us tonight. Toldya we aren’t all that bad.” She grins.

“Oh, yeah, it’s great. I love games. Haven’t found a good group since I moved here, so. Speaking of, I should finish my character sheet.” He smiles Taako’s way, but Taako has his back to him. 

Lup saw it though. _Great._

Kravitz awkwardly returns to the table and tries not to read too much into how quick Taako was to make another batch of meatballs just because he said he’d like seconds.

* * *

The night winds down around one in the morning. Almost everyone has already left—with their designated driver if necessary. And because Taako and Lup are super fucking good at picking friends, clean-up was covered. Magnus and Hurley washed the dishes. Julia and Sloane tidied up the kitchen. So, all that’s left to do is clean up the D&D table. Though it’s a bit occupied at the moment.

Taako sits across from Kravitz and makes a concerted effort to focus on the character creation lesson. Turns out a couple of strong sangrias and one handsome goth will get him to break all kinds of anti nerd rules he’s established for himself. Kravitz’s gentle, somewhat dorky instruction also helps. 

Kravitz’s tattoo turns out to be a raven in flight, its wing wrapping up to partially obscure a skull. There are other designs, a full sleeve worth. Taako tries not to think about Kravitz’s bare shoulders.

It’s dark, save for the soft gold glow of fairy lights strung around the bookshelf. Low-fi chill music plays softly on surround sound. Kravitz’s black nail-polished fingers touch the lines on Taako’s character sheet. His mouth moves to explain proficiencies and equipment and other things Taako is sure he’ll forget, because he’s definitely letting that deep voice soak into his bones instead. 

“Now, as a high elf, you get an extra language,” he says.

“Dunk. How about, uh, tagalog.”

Kravitz laughs. “No, it has to be dwarvish or something like that.”

“Oh. Bullshit fantasy languages. Gotcha.” Taako pulls the player’s handbook over to look at the list. Their hands almost brush, but he sees it coming so manages to avoid it.

That’s number three. Three times Taako has resisted attempts to let their hands brush together, because he doesn’t want to come off desperate. As if the rising warmth in his cheeks and laughter at Kravitz’s dumb jokes isn’t obvious enough. He smiles though. Kravitz can have a sideways Taako smile as a treat.

See, Taako had to do a bit of damage control, because he’d already been called out by Lup and Barry earlier that night. He had just finished cooking the second batch of meatballs and was setting it out when he blurted out that he wanted to play. Kravitz’s eyes were suddenly on him, and Barry said:

“Uh—I mean. Seven party members is a lot. Fuck. I dunno, Taako.”

“Yeah, babe, what changed your mind?” 

Oh she fucking knew. Taako had blown strands of hair from his face and said something about having nothing better to do. Which in hindsight was the most ridic thing he coulda said. Way to not show interest by saying the most obvious bullshit line ever.

He recovered though. Sat across from Kravitz when he offered to help, instead of next to him like he wanted to. Maybe next time. 

This way Taako has a perfect view of Kravitz’s super handsome face. His broad nose, that one dimple, the light stubble. He props up his cheek in one hand. The light blur of alcohol and Kravitz’s soothing voice makes him feel lazy and warm and a bit enchanted.

“Do you know what school of wizard you’d like to be?” Kravitz asks. 

Taako blinks slowly. The words flow in like honey pouring from a spoon. 

Kravitz touches his hand to get his attention. “Taako?” His fingertips linger when he pulls his hand away, or so he thinks.

Taako belatedly looks down at his hand, at the chipped teal nail polish and bitten nails.

“You look sleepy,” Kravitz says. He starts gathering his dice. They gently click together in his hand. “We can finish later if you want? It’s getting late and I—”

“You, sir,” Lup interjects, “are not going anywhere.” She gives a pointed glance at his third half-empty glass of sangria. “The couch is a pull-out. Avi and Johann are staying too, so, hope you like sharing.”

Kravitz doesn’t argue, though he seems less enthused about having to share a springy pull-out bed with the two tipsy guys making out in the arm chair. 

Taako lifts his head up, eyes bright from the crisp flush of a second wind. “You can have my bed!”

Kravitz and Lup both look at him, Lup with her eyebrows lifted high. 

“I mean, yeah,” Taako waves his hand like it’s no big deal. No skin off his back. Easy peasy. “I’ll uh, sleep on the porch hammock.”

But Taako does not want to sleep on the porch hammock.

* * *

Kravitz doesn’t want Taako to have to sleep on the porch hammock. He also doesn’t want it to seem like he’s keen to sleep next to the two men sloppily smooching in the corner. Or that he _wouldn’t_ want to sleep in Taako’s bed. Just not… yet. Damn the third glass. Damn his nerves for getting the better of him so he’d feel the need to drink it in the first place. He looks over at Taako who’s heavy eyes are staring off to the side. His cheeks are flushed, but Kravitz is sure it’s just the alcohol. 

“Oh, don’t do all that. Got any blankets? I can just sleep on the floor somewhere,” Kravitz says.

Taako snorts. “That’s not happening, my man.” He stands and smoothes out the layers of his shirts. “I’ve had plenty of choice naps in that hammock. I can sleep any-fuckin’-where.”

Kravitz also gets to his feet. “You sure?”

“Yeah, _for sure_. You’ll have the best sleep of your life. Only the most comfy mattress-comforter-sheets combo for cha’boy.” Taako points at himself with his thumb. 

Kravitz peers out of the sheer curtain to the porch past the sliding glass door. A floodlight somewhere outside partially illuminates the hammock that’s stretched from one side of the small porch to the other. 

“Well, thanks. Next time I promise I’ll make better choices.” He smiles and scratches the back of his head sheepishly.

Taako grins, walks past him and lets a hand glide over Kravitz’s shoulder as he goes. Kravitz thinks he was going for a reassuring pat, but it was a little too light, a little too lingering. Again, probably the alcohol making him clumsy. Kravitz has been doing his best to keep from accidentally touching Taako all night and failed only once. Possibly twice. 

“Follow me. I’ll give you the tour,” Taako says, waving him on without looking back.

Kravitz falls asleep immediately, the alcohol catching up to him. But he awakens a couple hours later with Taako’s smell all around him. He feels wrong for this, but the bed is so warm and so decadent that he nestles in and turns his face to the pillow. How can he feel this enamored with someone after only one night of being around him? Kravitz has never been one to be so consumed with someone this fast. He felt butterflies, for fuck’s sake.

But Taako made him laugh more than he has in a long time. Taako cooked a special second batch of meatballs because he said he liked them. Taako sat alone with him at the table and made a silly D&D character, despite obvious disinterest at first. _He let him sleep in his bed_. No one has ever made him feel like he was worth such focused attention. 

And he’s probably the most attractive man Kravitz has seen, which he surmised well before the alcohol entered his system. The crisp, tight trousers with the flowy button-up had been especially nice, but even in the overlarge t-shirt and rolled up jeans with graffiti patterns he wore when Kravitz first saw him sent his heart crashing into his throat. 

When he smiled… the cute gap in his teeth. The crinkles at the corners of his eyes. His _mind_.

Kravitz sighs and rolls over. A street lamp outside casts lines of dim light across his face. Taako’s just being a good host. Kravitz is just being a desperately lonely dumbass. Reading into things that aren’t there. Why would they be? They just fucking met, and Taako, well, Kravitz couldn’t really tell if he was interested. Could he do this every Saturday and not fall in love? He closes his eyes and tries to think of something else. 

_Be quiet, you foolish heart, it’s really not that deep._

He finally manages to fall asleep again, and doesn’t awaken until the smell of breakfast drifts into the room.

_tbc_


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is comprised of parts 5-7 from Tumblr.
> 
> Thanks again for reading and sharing and giving this fic love. It means a lot to me <3333

Taako can’t believe he just slept all night in a hammock for a hot boy, but considering that hot boy is currently still asleep in his bed, it was a good decision. He carefully climbs down from the swaying contraption and opens the sliding door. Avi and Johann are sleeping on the pull-out, mismatched sheets and comforter twisted around their cuddled limbs. He tip-toes around them and heads for the bathroom.

After a quick wash-up, he gathers his hair up in a messy bun and blows the sprigs from his face. He wants to cut it off so bad. Maybe one of those punk rock mullets with the sides shaved. Or something choppy and flippy around his face. But he won’t, because he can’t decide, and so it just grows and grows. 

He heads for his bedroom next to grab a different shirt. The door is cracked open and he can see that Kravitz is still sleeping. Goddamn, everyone is still sleeping. How’d this happen? How is he the only one awake?

Even though it’s _his_ room, it feels wrong. Kravitz is making a soft sound with every inhale, not quite a snore, but something indicative of a deep sleep. Taako’s heart clenches in his chest. Kravitz is a lump of handsome snoozing goodness in his bed and he doesn’t really know him that well, but he wants to. Kravitz moves in his sleep and turns over. Taako bites his lip. 

In the end he does get to switch shirts, and slips out without another glance Kravitz’s way. 

It’s ten in the morning when Taako sets up the kitchen to make breakfast for six people. An entire tray of two dozen eggs are involved. He dices pancetta, slices mushrooms, crumbles the feta. A little minced garlic and chives for flavor. He pulls out the loaf of fresh bread Lup made the day before and slices it up, ready for toast with jam or butter or cream. Readies coffee with all the fixings. 

Through this entire process there’s a thread that runs through his mind. Will Kravitz like this? Will he like it as much as he loved the meatballs? Will he drink his coffee black or with cream and sugar? Or does he have little quirks, like a half teaspoon of cocoa and cinnamon in his cup? What if he prefers tea or orange juice. Shit, they didn’t have either. Maybe they had some tea bags somewhere in the cabinet… That last time Lup had a sore throat she wanted tea.

Avi and Johann wake up first, since they are in the same room as the kitchen, relatively speaking. They’re groggy, hungry, and hungover, so Taako sets medicine and glasses of water on the end table for them.

Lup wakes next. She wanders into the kitchen and grins. “Oh hell yeah. Where are the hash browns?”

Taako gestures to the potatoes on the counter. “Hop to it.”

She washes her hands and gets to work on peeling and grating them. When they’re sizzling as a big salty mass in an iron skillet, Lup bumps her brother’s hip with her own.

He bumps back.

She smiles. “You like him, dont’cha?”

Before he can answer, Taako’s bedroom door creaks open. Kravitz wanders out, still wearing his clothes from the night before, though sleep mussed. At first he’s glaring down at his phone, thumb scrolling through what are probably messages from someone. His beautiful brown eyes then glance upward, at all of the food Taako is in the midst of preparing. But something’s off. It’s not a look of hunger or eagerness. It’s forlorn. 

“Something wrong, Krav?” Lup asks when Taako’s mouth goes dry.

“I almost hate saying this, but, uh… It’s my mother. I’m being summoned,” Kravitz says. “I have to go. Everything looks so good. I’m so sorry.”

Taako shrugs. “No, it’s cool. Don’t leave your ma hangin’.” It _is_ cool. Taako shoves down all of those fanciful notions of how Kravitz likes his coffee and if he even likes mushrooms. He settles his face in a smile, handsome and unbothered.

There’s a beat during which Kravitz looks at Taako’s mouth, or maybe that’s wishful thinking. He smiles back and says, “I’ll see you next Saturday?”

Taako’s insides feel all funny. He’s compelled to act aloof. Feign disinterest. Better to keep people from getting too close too fast. But he doesn’t want to push this one away, and what the fuck’s that all about? 

“I guess you will, since I live here and all,” Taako says. He turns back to work on preparing an omelette, not as excited about them as before.

Lup gives Taako a glare that he ignores. “See you then, Krav!”

* * *

Kravitz’s hunger transforms to guilt as he pulls out of the apartment parking lot. His mother’s admonishing tone echoes, makes him feel like a child again. 

_The children are waiting, Kravitz_ , she said. _I’ll do the first one myself, but you had better be here for the next tour or so help me._

Whoever thought it would be a good idea to open up Haunted Neverwinter Tours for kids during the day on Sunday was an asshole. 

That asshole is himself.

The kids will be _fine_. Either way, they get an anachronistically dressed weirdo with a raven on their shoulder telling them about kid-friendly versions of haunted history. They’ll laugh while the raven says naughty things like ‘who farted?’ or ‘come out, scaredy ghost!’ and otherwise complain about being bored.

Even so, the incredible smell of Taako’s homemade breakfast lingers. Who wakes up after sleeping all night in a hammock and makes a gourmet meal for a bunch of hungover college nobodies? The same person who would emerge after over an hour of avoidance in a new outfit for seemingly no reason. The same person who would make a fresh batch of meatballs in that nice outfit, and who would sit with _Kravitz_ to create a character for the first time ever. 

A strange feeling curls in his chest. Makes it hard for him to tell what he feels guilty about anymore–being late to work, or having to leave in such a rush without… without… what? Thanking him? Getting his number? Kravitz’s face is hot in an instant with that thought.

But Taako’s seeming indifference to his departure only makes him feel more confused. Maybe that’s just how he is. Maybe it isn’t anything special. He exhales and pulls into the drive of the historical Victorian home he shares with his mother. ( _For now_. While he’s in college.)

He rushes inside. If his mother’s doing the first tour, then that gives him some time to clean up. When he takes off his shirt, he catches the scent of the twins’ apartment, notably Taako’s sheets, clinging to it. He inhales. Convinces himself it’s ninety percent reactionary and ten percent on purpose. His stomach flips, and a slow peal of embarrassment unrolls through him. 

Taako smells nice. Taako looks… very nice. His bed was exceedingly comfortable. These things combined led to Kravitz waking up with less-than-savory thoughts, for certain, but he’d indulge in those more later. For now, he makes a mental note–as he picks lint from his locs–to bring a cap next time. Just in case. He didn’t intend to spend the night. He hopes he’s not a fool for wondering if it might happen again.

Fuck, he needs to get a move on. He pulls on one of his Victorian costumes–which is mostly clothes he’d wear anyway–and heads out for the tour office. But before he pulls from the driveway, he grabs his phone to text his mother that he’s on the way. 

After, his finger hovers on the text exchange he had with Lup before game night. The guilt for leaving so fast, for not staying to taste Taako’s meal, returns. He rushes through a message he knows he’ll probably regret later with a raven on his shoulder accusing him of being afraid of ghosts.

 _Hey Lup!  
_ _Thanks for having me over  
Had a great time. look forward to next week._  
 _I feel bad about having to miss out on breakfast. could I possibly have Taako’s number? I’d like to apologize to him._  
 _You can give him mine if that’s better._  
 _Thanks_ 😅

There are probably about a million ways that text could have been written better. He almost _never_ does emojis. He’ll worry about it all afternoon, but he lets it go as he’s soon swept into tour mode.

Much later, after kid tours and adult tours, after his feet are sore from walking around so much and he’s put the raven to roost in his nice big cage that could fit Kravitz’s entire bedroom, he finally sees a reply from Lup. It’s a phone number, and the words: _Be good to him._

* * *

Taako spends the afternoon getting the kitchen back in order. His room may be a mess. The bathroom may be cluttered with their products and toiletries and accessories. The living room may look like a kitsch-loving time traveler dumped the contents of their storage shed on their walls. But the kitchen will always be clear and organized. 

“Where’s my fuckin’ measuring cup? I’m missing one,” he says, and turns to find Lup leaning against the fridge with a little smirk aimed at her phone.

Taako doesn't comment. He knows she wants him to and he's too grumpy to play along. He let a hot boy sleep in his bed and didn’t even get to feed him breakfast. Didn’t even get his _number_. But he’ll see him again in a few days, so there’s that.

“So,” Lup begins, and she laughs to herself. She’s proud for some reason and that makes him roll his eyes.

“So, _what?_ You gonna help or--”

“Kravitz wants your number.”

Taako fights back a reflexive smile. He turns away so she can’t see how hard he tries to play it off. “Damn right he does. Don’t give it to him.”

“ _What?_ Why?”

“Because! What do you think this is? Fiddler on the Roof? I don’t need a fuckin’ matchmaker, I can do this myself.”

Lup’s turn to roll her eyes. But she does it lovingly, still with that knowing smile. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but suit yourself.” She opens a few drawers, plucks out the missing measuring cup, and tosses it at him.

Taako catches it after it flips a few times, then puts it with the others where they belong. They finish cleaning the kitchen in silence. The television murmurs in the background. Some street food series on the travel channel. 

After the kitchen is finished, Taako retreats to his bedroom for the first time since Kravitz left, and stops abruptly inside the door. The bed is made. Smooth blanket, crisp corners, fluffed pillows. A strip of sunlight even lays across it like some fucking home staging website’s beauty shot. The sheets are folded down over the blanket on one side as though to invite him into it. This catches Taako so off guard that he stumbles as his feet shuffle through a pile of clothes on the floor.

He feels simultaneously light and heavy. He hates how he can’t find a single reason to be annoyed by this. Is it weird? Maybe. It’s certainly domestic, and Taako’s not sure if that’s what’s making his heart feel fluttery or if it’s just… he’s not used to such soft, thoughtful gestures. Maybe if it were anyone else (Lup) he’d feel like it’s passive-aggressive. He’s not exactly the best at keeping his bed tidy. But Taako remembers Kravitz’s patience with helping him build a character. He remembers his sincere compliments about the food, and like. This man could actually be genuinely good. 

Taako almost relents right then and tells Lup to give him the number, but his stomach feels like it’s falling through the floor into another dimension. Does he really want to do this? He doesn’t exactly have the best experience with dating, and it’s been a _while_. A long while. Mostly he’s fine with that. But if Lup seems to think this guy is worth it–why else would she have pulled him into Taako’s orbit so blatantly?–maybe… maybe it’s worth a try. 

But first, he’s gonna sleep on it. Because, _fuck_ , he’s still tired and doesn’t remember the last time he slept in a made bed. 

When he wakes from his nap, Barry’s back. He can hear him talking with Lup in the kitchen. The bed is a mess once again and he pouts about that for a few minutes with his nose burrowed in blankets. It’s not until he realises he’s holding a pillow like a person that he finds his way to his feet.

Taako shuffles out into the dimly lit living room without bothering to fix the disheveled state of his clothing or hair, and sighs intentionally loud so they stop to look over at him. 

“Go ahead and give it to him,” Taako mutters.

Barry smiles and of course he knows.

“You got it, babe,” Lup says, and pulls out her phone.

So he waits. Takes a shower. He waits more. But _not_ like some lovestruck teenager. He’s got shit to do, like study for his food preparation exam tomorrow. 

They order takeout when it starts to get dark, and watch a news story about ruins of an old village discovered during a construction project on the west side of Neverwinter. Ten rolls around. Ten thirty. He’s only looked at his phone twice the entire evening. Okay, five times. Maybe more… he’s not counting.

Finally he gets a message while he’s scrolling Fantasy Twitter and half-heartedly eating chips. He’s nestled in the little spot that remains on the couch. Lup and Barry are curled up together, taking up the most space, watching some horror flick.

> _Hi, it’s Kravitz. I hope you don’t mind. Lup gave me your number._

Taako catches himself smiling and forces his mouth to cut that shit out. He adds Kravitz to his contacts before he finally responds. _it’s all good, how are u_

The typing bubbles dance for a long ass time, and finally Kravitz’s message appears: 

> _I’m better now that I’m home from work. I’m sorry I had to leave in such a rush. Breakfast looked incredible. How was your day?_

Taako can feel Lup’s eyes on him. Rude as hell. He gets up and moves outside to the hammock. _Good, I took a nap, had some tikka masala now it’s chill time._

Kravitz doesn’t reply for several minutes, and Taako feels silly for escaping the watchful gaze of his sister for stilted greetings. Then, finally.

> _Sorry, was feeding the raven. He gets rather insistent.  
>  I wanted to make it up to you.   
> Would you like to get breakfast with me sometime this week?_

Taako sinks into the hammock. This fuckin’ nerd has a pet raven? The dots dance again before Taako can reply.

> _It won’t be the same as something you make by hand, of course._

He’s fuckin’ right, and Taako almost texts this. But the stroke to his ego settles elsewhere inside of him. His cheeks and the tips of his ears feel hot, and he almost throws the phone over the balcony because it’s such a strange sensation to feel bashful instead of boastful. It sweeps all of the potential words he could say from his mind, their letters now a jumbled puzzle in his throat. 

Too much time must pass, because the dots appear again and Kravitz’s next message has all the wrong vibes.

> _I apologize, maybe that was too forward. I’ll see you Saturday?_


	3. Chapter 3

Kravitz paces his room. All of his nerves, all of the strings in his heart are twisted together and pulled tight. He thought he was smooth. He thought this might work out. Taako seemed to enjoy talking to him for a long time. Offered up the comfort of his bed so he wouldn’t be stuck on the floor somewhere. And the food... 

He keeps playing these things over and over again, picking them apart for where his presumptions went wrong. If he hyperanalyzes himself too much he can find a million faults. He can rapidly concoct a plausible hypothesis for how Taako is way out of his league. If he’s lucky, the days will pass and this will be erased from reality so when he joins them for game night come Saturday, it won’t be awkward.

But then he’ll have to see him again and he’ll have to ignore so much. He’ll have to pretend the way his eyebrows lift when he’s interested isn’t cute. And how can he possibly not think about the crinkle in his nose when he has to say words like ‘cantrip’ and ‘hit dice,’ and how his hair falls against his neck. How his voice can get low and suggestive, or pitch upward in incredulity. How can he spend a whole evening _not_ falling for him? 

He’s so consumed in this anxiety that he doesn’t realize Taako responded until the glowing notification pulses in his periphery. He dives for the phone, which he’d tossed to the bed, and the sharply tilted world slowly begins to right itself.

> _relax my man, are you kidding? i’d love that_ 😘

Kravitz’s eyes start to prickle. The tension in his body eases, all those knots unwinding in his chest at once. He’s not _crying_ , he’s just so, so relieved. The kissy emoji is good, right? Not sarcasm. No, it can’t be. His chest fills with hope and he can’t believe this didn’t stay sideways. More messages pop up and soon he’s grinning so hard he can’t feel his face.

> _is breakfast for dinner cool with you?  
>  my schedule is wack  
> and i’ll deffo cook for you again but i could use a break  
> i’m in culinary school and have a couple exams this week_

_That is perfect. Is there a place you recommend?_

> _meet me at the davy lamp across from the chug n’ squeeze?  
>  they have the best french toast aside from mine, natch_

Kravitz cringes. The Davy Lamp is on the same block as the Neverwinter Occult History Museum. He told Lup that he works at a museum just not… which one… And he has tours every night this week to make up for asking off on the upcoming weekend. He’s not exactly ashamed of what he does, but he wants to make a good impression. Showing up for their date in his frock coat and cravat might make Taako feel embarrassed. 

But an honest impression is better than a good one. Taako should know the weird mess he’s getting into.

_All right, does 6:30 sound good? I have work all week, but I can meet you on my break._

> _yep, c u then_ ❤️

_I very much look forward to it._

And of course, it’s all Kravitz can think about in the following days. They text a few more times, but nothing too involved. How are you? How was your exam? How’s the raven doing? His name is Merlin, technically his mother’s bird, but Merlin loves Kravitz. Taako has secretly always wanted a cat, but Barry is allergic and he stays over too often, so he’s been overruled. 

Lup only mentions Taako once in orchestra class. Says he’s been in a good mood. He sings while he cooks, that’s how she knows.

When the evening comes, Kravitz selects his nicest suit that he tends to reserve for special events. It’s rich black with silver skull-etched buttons. The trousers are thin pinstriped, charcoal gray and black. There’s a deep maroon waistcoat, crisp white collar, and cream silk cravat. If he’s going to show up dressed like he walked off the set of Sweeny Todd, he might as well slay. 

The date—wait, is it a date? Or are they just hanging out? _Oh gods_ …Either way, it’s sandwiched between two of his longer tours. The early one has a kid in it that won’t stop asking questions and correcting certain details. 

“I’m a paranormal detective, sir,” says the kid, adjusting his glasses. “Well, not technically, but I’m really good at it, and my grandpa says I have excellent critical thinking skills. I’ve been studying this mystery for the past three weeks, and it turns out that the children didn’t die in the orphanage fire. They were adopted a year before the fire broke out and were living there at the time.” He points across the street to a recently renovated brownstone. 

“Know-it-all,” Merlin croaks.

Kravitz smiles sheepishly. “Now, Merlin, he’s got a point. What’s your name, dear boy?”

“Angus, sir. Angus McDonald.”

A few of the adults in the tour coo in response. He is adorable, though the sort that could slowly turn insufferable.

“Well, Angus, I appreciate the insight. Right you are, except for one detail.” Kravitz rocks on his heels. Merlin shuffles his wings and picks at a feather.

Angus looks around as though he dropped the detail somewhere nearby.

Kravitz addressed the entire tour, smoothly playing off this interruption. “The adoption process was initiated by the couple across the street, tis true. However, a fever had broken out in the orphanage, and they were not able to officially move out to prevent the spread of the disease. Therefore, they were still living in the orphanage at the time of the tragic fire.”

Angus eyes him skeptically and there is truly nothing more intimidating than having one's intellect so confidently challenged by a small child. “Interesting,” Angus says. “I’ll have to follow-up on that information. I will stop by with my results tomorrow!”

“Very well,” Kravitz says, keeping his easy smile. “Will that be all?”

“I have another question, sir.”

“One more, then we must move along, I’m afraid.”

“Your accent is all over the place, sir, if you don't mind me saying. I hear cockney, contemporary RP. Is that intentional?” he says.

“All right, yeah, I sorta go back and forth at will, don’t I? Whatever fits the story, is what it is. Now come along. Did you know there’s an old family graveyard behind the Fantasy Go-Mart?”

As they walk to the next stop on the tour, Kravitz checks his pocket watch. _Dammit._ There’s no way he’s going to be on time at this rate. 

* * *

Taako digs through his closet and dresser all afternoon once classes are over. He assesses each item in turn: shirts, pants, skirts, sweaters, scarves, shorts, leggings, coats, cardigans, overalls, robes. Every one of them is terrible, and so they form heaps around his room, on his bed, slung across the chair in the corner. What the shit do you wear on a breakfast-for-dinner date at a western themed diner with the hottest man you’ve ever seen? What do you wear when you’ve already blown a dope ass outfit on a night of fuckin’ _Dungeons and Dragons_? Real smart, Taako. 

“ _Fuck me._ ” He falls back on the bed with a huff. 

Eventually Lup takes pity on him. She walks in, digs through the piles of garments, then tosses an outfit at him. It hits him right in the face, and he just lays there and lets it happen.

“You know I like your style, Lulu,” he says, muffled under the clothes, “but it ain’t mine.” 

“Just trust me,” she sings as she leaves the room.

He sits up and lets the clothes fall in his lap, and… they’re something he’d wear to class. Something he’d wear to Fantasy Starbucks. Flared jeans and a button-up shirt? 

“Hey Lup? Fuck this.”

“He’ll love it.”

It’s true that the best way to get Taako to pick something his own damn self is to suggest an atrocious option.

So that’s how he winds up wearing a tight t-shirt under dark capri overalls, a wide-brimmed hat and black ankle boots. The bright blue feather in the hat is a bit much, but that’s why he fuckin’ loves it. The overalls are made with an iridescent black fabric that shifts green and blue and purple in certain lighting, like raven wings. He thinks he looks like farmer Lydia Deetz but he is trying to attract a known goth in a western themed diner, so there’s that.

Taako decides to leave early and walk to the diner since it’s so nice outside, even a bit cool. And it’s not like he’s exerting much extra effort here. Their apartment isn’t _that_ far from downtown. He pulls on a big cardigan with mismatched buttons and heads out.

He’s early when he arrives at the Davy Lamp, but before he goes inside, he spots a group of folks standing in front of the creepy occult museum a few shops down. Likely a tour about to embark or just returning. At the head of the group is a man with dreadlocks down his back and a fancy Victorian suit. A big antsy raven is perched on his shoulder. Keeps picking at the ruffles on the dude’s collar with a sharp black beak. 

The man turns his head to the side as he gestures across the street and--he looks strikingly like Kravitz.

Wait. It fuckin’ IS Kravitz. _Holy shit._

Taako feels a huge burst of laughter swell up inside. It’s both ridiculous and endearing as fuck. But he keeps it tempered with a few steadying breaths. Taako doesn’t want to interrupt him; he’s not that much of an asshole. The man is _clearly_ working and doing a fine job at it. But it’s taking every ounce of willpower to not join the audience as inconspicuous as possible. There wouldn’t be time for that anyway, because the tour disperses seconds later. Kravitz turns to go inside the museum and freezes. He glances over. They see each other. Taako does a little wave. Kravitz looks very embarrassed, but smiles anyway. 

Taako walks over. Super casual. He’s the chillest. “Soooo, this is what you do? I dig your style.”

Kravitz laughs nervously. “It is, yes. Um, hang on a moment. I need to put Merlin back inside. Would you like to come in…? Or…”

“Another time? I know we don’t have long.”

“Of course.” Kravitz pauses. “You look… very good. I like the,” he waves his hand vaguely, “whole vibe there. Be right back.” Kravitz hasn’t stopped smiling, but it settles into something a bit more natural, and again Taako’s knees feel weak.

“ _Pretty boy_ ,” says the raven, turning one beady eye to Taako as Kravitz disappears into the museum.

Taako’s cheeks are hot. He takes off the cardigan to feel the cool autumn breeze on his neck.

* * *

Kravitz puts Merlin in his museum aviary, which is essentially a screened-in porch with bars around the inside perimeter so he doesn’t damage his feathers, and gives him some cheese as a treat.

 _“Are you all right, love?”_ Merlin asks in his mother’s voice after nuzzling Kravitz’s hand.

Kravitz laughs. “I’m fairly nervous.” 

Merlin makes a kissy sound. Kravitz kisses the top of his poofed, feathery head.

A few people from the tour are perusing the shop area, and his mother is at the counter, so he discreetly checks his appearance in the creepy 18th century mirror near the door. Then promptly shudders. He swears some nights when he’s in the museum alone he can hear knocks from within the glass. 

He heads for the exit, but pauses. Through the decorative patterns on the door window, he notices the boy detective from his tour still standing there. Taako is leaning down to be more at the kid’s eye level as they converse with strange familiarity. After a few moments of this, Taako smoosh-pats the boy’s schoolboy cap, and grins. The boy smiles, rolls his eyes, and walks off toward the door to the apartments upstairs. Kravitz gathers that he lives up there with his grandfather, for how often he talks about him. 

At last, Kravitz opens the shop door, its hinges squeak, and Taako lifts up to his feet. The smirk he directed at the boy softens. 

“He-hello,” Taako says with a slight drawl that doesn’t do much to hide underlying shyness. He’s now holding the cardigan over his forearms, and he rocks on the balls of his feet. 

An early autumn breeze brushes past the brim of Taako’s hat, moves through the wavy hair framing his face, and Kravitz interprets it in slow motion. Fixates on all the small details of Taako’s appearance. He’s surprised by the overalls, but they work on him. Cute is a word that comes to mind, but it feels too diminutive. Taako is tall, not quite as tall as Kravitz, but the boots he’s wearing almost get him there. He’s also extremely handsome. The bone structure, _how?_ His eyes catch the waning sunlight in an almost ethereal manner. How one can look that good in an outfit that perhaps someone left at a thrift store in the 90s is a mystery to him. Not like he can talk with his own attire. But it works, it’s making him feel soft and affectionate. It’s a bit like they’re in their own private mismatched timeline compared to the rest of the world.

“You know him?” Kravitz asks, joining Taako on the sidewalk. 

“Never seen him before in my life,” Taako says. When Kravitz makes a confused face, he reluctantly clarifies. “I tutor him. He’s a good kid, but you didn’t hear that from me.”

“He sometimes joins my tours. Has quite a lot to say.” In a way Kravitz is glad to have stumbled on the moment. It was sweet and headed off any awkward small talk. “What do you help him with?”

“Math; some chemistry. Hey,” Taako says, as though indicating an abrupt subject change is incoming, “let’s shove some french toast in our fucking faces. I haven’t eaten since a shitty moon bar at breakfast.”

Kravitz laughs. “I like moon bars.” 

Taako winces, grinning. “Oh no, that’s strike one, my fella.” He pushes open the saloon-style door of the _Davy Lamp_. “After you.”

They enter, and the smell of coffee and whatever’s sizzling on a griddle wafts over him so strong it might as well’ve had visible scent trails. Kravitz’s stomach responds appropriately. They pass the sign that invites them to seat themselves, and bee-line for a booth.

They barely have a moment to settle when a waitress approaches. She’s wearing the western themed uniform that’s reminiscent of Jessie from Toy Story but with a jean skirt. Her dyed silver hair is trimmed in a short bob that curls just under her cheeks with her smile. A smile which gets bigger and her dark eyes wider as she sees Taako. 

“ _Oh my god_ , Taako!” She does a little happy dance with her receipt pad. “I haven’t seen you in _forever!”_

“Hello, Ren, it’s good to see you too.” Taako says, leaning comfortably in the booth. “How’s the pastry biz?”

“It’s going great. Still working out of the apartment, but someday! Don’t regret droppin’ out, not yet anyhow.” Her eyes dart over to Kravitz briefly. She lifts her eyebrows appreciatively as she glances between the two of them. “Oooh I don’t wanna keep ya if you have company, but it’s so good to see you. What can I start ya with?”

They both order french toast and milkshakes, and once she wanders off, Taako sits forward, leaning his chin on the back of one of his hands. 

“So tell me more about this,” he gestures toward Kravitz’s clothing. “How’d you get involved with the spectral underbelly of Neverwinter?”

“It’s a bit of a family business, you know. My mother is the Raven Queen.”

“You don’t say!”

He talks about his mother’s brief stint as a local reality television star that featured some of Neverwinter’s stranger elements. They used to film the daily goings-on of the museum shop, all of the weird, antique, often death-themed objects that would show up there, the quirky variety of customers, and the séances. Oh boy, the séances. 

Their food arrives, and Taako goes straight for his milkshake. Between that, the syrup and whipped cream on the french toast, it looks like there might be enough sugar in this meal to turn their insides to candy.

“I was young, so opted out of being part of the show, though you can see me briefly in some episodes,” Kravitz adds after indulging a bite.

“This is fucking incredible. Does Lup know? She _loved_ that shit.”

“She does, she does.” 

Taako laughs, amused and giddy, and Kravitz kinda gets lost in the sight of it. Their eyes meet, and Taako’s laughter fades, but his sideways smile doesn’t. Kravitz glances down to Taako’s hand where it rests on the table, and he wants to touch his fingers, and feel them curl into his. He stuffs more food in his mouth to get his mind off of it. It’s probably too soon. Then Taako’s hand moves away, and the opportunity is lost.

* * *

Taako could honestly punch himself. Kravitz was looking at his hand. Looking with _feeling_. He should’ve left it there to see what happens, but no, he fell victim to his own stupid instincts and pulled away. He sucks on the milkshake with an unmasked scowl. _Fuck._ Brain freeze. He pushes his finger between his eyebrows.

“So, uh, have you had your culinary exams yet?” Kravitz asks. A brief flash of concern crosses his face, probably on account of the scowl and the wincing.

Taako clears it all away and smiles handsomely. “I had one of them so far. Aced it, natch. What about you? What’s your sitch? Music? Theatre?”

“Music and history double major, with a minor in religious studies.” He goes for the syrup. 

Taako hums with mild interest. Sounds boring as fuck, but sexy men can make anything fascinating. Then, the thing is, he _also_ reaches for the syrup, and they end up grabbing it at the same time. Taako overcompensates from the earlier fumble by just not letting go. Kravitz also doesn’t let go. They both laugh like dipshits. 

“It’s so nice of you to want to help me,” Kravitz says teasingly. He takes the syrup with his free hand, which leaves their hands grasping at nothing but each other’s.

Taako bites his grin as he snorts. This is too much, but it’s also perfect. “It’s about damn time you held my hand, Cassanova.”

Kravitz laughs. And Taako swears it gives him fuckin’ ASMR tingles. 

They carry on with light conversation, the getting to know you sorta shit. Their hands don’t remain linked for long, but that’s fine, there’ll be plenty of time for that later. Especially if the way Kravitz keeps staring at him tenderly when he thinks Taako isn’t paying attention is any indication.

Ren returns to drop off their ticket, which Kravitz snatches up deftly. Very suave, but wholly unnecessary because Taako was ready to claim he forgot his wallet. Even so, he feels a little guilty for that. He’s so used to being unlikeable so that terrible people fuck off and stop bothering him. Kravitz, however, is far from terrible. 

Kravitz is a genuinely good man. Taako shifts to ‘undeserving’ mode, and quietly watches him calculate the tip on his fingers and leave well over twenty percent. 

“Taako…” Kravitz begins, his eyelashes unfairly long as he looks down nervously. He then seeks out Taako’s gaze. “I’ve had a lovely time.”

Taako props his elbow on the table, chin on his hand, and smiles, meeting that gaze, his own half-lidded “Me too.”

Kravitz stands and holds out his hand. “I hope next time I have more than just an hour to spend time with you.”

Taako looks at the offered hand like... _holy shit, this dude is a real fucking gentleman_. He takes it even as the sense of undeservedness returns in full force. Kravitz’s hold is strong and steady as he rises to his feet. There’s reluctance in how Kravitz lets go. Is this really happening? No one has ever treated him with such deference before. No one has ever looked at him like he hung every fucking star in the sky. 

“You’ll be there on game night, right?” Taako asks.

“Definitely.”

Taako smiles, lets his gaze wander over every attractive feature of Kravitz’s face. The warm, brown eyes, the full lips, the one dimple even the stubble can’t hide. _God_ he wants to kiss him senseless.

There’s a sudden squeak behind them. Ren stands nearby, her order pad covering her grinning mouth, her eyes bright and cheerful. 

“Have a good night!” she says, sending them off.

Taako didn’t believe that ‘butterflies in the stomach’ was a real sensation until he felt Kravitz take his hand again, and lead him out of the restaurant.


	4. Chapter 4

Taako’s hand is _so_ warm, and Kravitz can’t believe what he’s just done. One moment, they stood there ready to leave, and the next he reached for Taako’s hand and took it. Naturally as though he’s been doing so for years. Not only that, but he walked out of the restaurant _still holding_ Taako’s hand, and Taako never let it go. That’s the part that makes Kravitz stop outside and finally look at Taako to make sure it wasn’t his imagination.

Taako draws closer than he has ever before, and he has a quirked smile aimed at him. “So, where ya taking me, stud?” he asks with a teasing lilt.

Kravitz almost snorts at that. Taako seems to enjoy tossing out nicknames for the hell of it, or possibly to catch him off guard. Without missing a beat, he leads him out of the way of the Davy Lamp’s entrance. There’s an architectural feature that juts out a bit and affords a little bit of privacy. 

Taako appears thankful for this and relaxes against the brick building next to them. He takes off the hat and runs fingers through his hair and god, he smells divine. Kravitz is slammed back in time to the night he slept in Taako’s bed, that particular scent enveloping him. He also feels unsure what to do with his hand now that Taako isn’t holding it anymore.

“Unfortunately I can’t take you very far.” Kravitz nods toward the small crowd gathering in front of the occult museum. “Work beckons.”

“Eh, they can wait. I had you first,” Taako says. His focus drifts off to the side for a second, probably seeking out the bank clock, and then flicks back. “For two more minutes.”

“Well, then,” he draws in a steadying breath. “I’ve had a lovely time. I’ll see you… soon?”

“Uh-huh. We covered this. Game night, remember?” Taako flashes teeth with this smile. Kravitz’s stomach swoops at being gently admonished, then flings into orbit with what Taako says next: “So, are we gonna kiss or do I gotta go home wishin’ we did?”

“If you put it that way,” Kravitz says through laughter. He moves closer, not believing his luck. What sort of kiss does Taako expect? Surely nothing too… involved. A cheek kiss seems like weaksauce. _Will it taste like whipped cream and syrup?_ He casts a glance around them to see that no one is paying them any attention, but he can hardly tell with how hard his heart is thundering in his own ears.

Taako takes his hand again, and everything else drowns away. He tilts his chin up slightly, gaze dropping to Kravitz’s lips. Kravitz leans forward, inevitable like gravity, and he sees Taako’s lashes drift closed just before his own.

“Taako!?” someone calls, distracting Taako at the last second and making him turn. 

Kravitz’s kiss glances along the corner of Taako’s mouth and he softly curses. Whoever it is will be launched into orbit right along with his stomach.

“Oh, shit. Sorry!” the same voice adds. “Ignore us!”

Taako lets a glint of a sharp canine show in his sneer. “Oh, good! Thanks for the fuckin’ permission. Too bad it’s a bit fuckin’ late for that.”

Kravitz, with lips still tingling, looks to see one of the couples from last weekend approaching them.

“Don’t be an ass,” the tall one says. Sloane, Kravitz thinks.

“Yeah, don’t stop on our account. Hello, Kravitz,” says the shorter one with a tangle of short, curly hair. “Nice digs. Ya’ work there or something?” she asks, indicating the occult museum.

Oh, _shit_. Kravitz sucks in through his teeth. His next tour crowd is starting to look around for their guide, and a few are pointing at him given that he’s kinda hard to miss in this outfit.

“Listen, Taako, I really need to go. I’m sorry; I’ll be in touch?” He wants to say more. He wants to finish the kiss, to hell with his job, but that’s irresponsible and he wants the kiss to be _good._ It can’t be good here. 

Taako shrugs, looks at his chipped-polish nails, then glares over them at Sloane and Hurley. “Not your fault, babe.”

Kravitz nods toward the two and gives an apologetic smile. “Nice seeing you again.”

And off he goes. He doesn’t look back, because now he has a whole group of people watching his approach. There’s still a raven to coax out of his aviary, and and another apology to deliver for his lateness. None of it matters so much though. He’s the least stressed he has ever felt, he’s sure, because Taako held his hand. Taako wanted to kiss him. While the latter didn’t work out so well, it will next time. Until then, even that barest, softest brush of a kiss at the corner of Taako’s mouth will keep Kravitz buoyant for days.

* * *

“How dare you,” Taako says, deadpan, once Kravitz leaves. 

He’s flushed and dizzy and all he wants to do is go home and hide under a pile of blankets and scream. He flexes his hand like he can still feel the pressure of Kravitz’s grasp. His breath is a little shaky, and he’s more mad that he has to apparently carry on a fucking conversation, because they clearly aren’t leaving.

“Oh, get over it. I doubt that’ll be your only chance with the way he looks at you,” Hurley says. 

Taako scoffs, incredulous. “ _Shut up_. He doesn’t look at me.” He scowls toward the sky, but he’s finding it really hard to stay mad right now. They both laugh, and honestly he’s gonna just walk away. “So, is there a reason you needed me or are you out to ruin my night?”

“Sorry, Taako,” Sloane offers. 

“Yeah, we just left the _Chug N’ Squeeze_ across the street and I thought I saw your stupid hat so we wanted to say hi,” Hurley answers. “You should check it out though. It was fun.”

“Yeah. Quite intimate.” Sloane pulls Hurley in close and leans to kiss her on top of her head.

Taako rolls his eyes and looks over to the place in question. It’s one of those deals where you make something artsy while paying ridiculous prices for a bland selection of wine. Conversations overheard range from complaints about how shitty their piece looks, or humblebrags about how they did art in highschool which explains why they’re good at following directions. He starts to laugh hysterically. 

Sloane and Hurley have no reaction to this; they’re used to his bullshit.

“Why the fuck would you think I’d be into that?” The laughter continues, then finally Taako wipes a tear. “I’m kidding; it’s fucking perfect.”

“Toldya,” says Hurley.

“So you’re not gonna join?” Sloane asks, gesturing with a thumb toward Kravitz, who is leading his tour into the distance. “It’s really fun.” 

“Yeah, we did it once a while back.”

“ _What!?_ ” Taako grips his hat. “How the fuck did everyone know this dude and not tell me?”

“We didn’t know him, dummy,” says Hurley. “We just went on the tour. Also we had no idea you even wanted to date.”

Taako tries not to wither, but it’s an unavoidable fact that he’s been firmly anti-dating for… a while now. His chest aches as he manages to catch the last glimpse of Kravitz before he’s out of sight. He inhales sharply and shakes his head. This isn’t _dating_. Kravitz is a hot boy and Taako’s just lonely and gay. Kravitz will probably have to stop coming to game nights eventually and will vanish from his life. Taako will be _fine_.

Hurley and Sloane depart at some point, and he’s not totally sure he said goodbye to them. He might’ve made a noise. The nice autumn breezes from earlier that evening have given way to a subtle chill, so he settles the hat back on his head, pulls on his sweater, and drifts home. 

Later that night while lying in bed and not kissing his hand pretending it’s Kravitz, he gets a text message.

> _I wish we had more time together tonight._

Taako feels instantly embarrassed, like he’s been caught. But he’s more embarrassed in himself for not knowing how to respond. He’s usually able to quip without missing a beat. But he finds he doesn’t want to. He wants to say something soft in return, but words like that don’t come easy. 

The little dots bounce to indicate Kravitz is typing more, so he waits. And waits. Nothing else appears. Oh god dammit. Taako relents, and responds:

me too. u free tomorrow? 

> _No, I won’t be until Saturday_

:( 

> _Yeah :(_

There’s a long pause, then Kravitz adds: _I miss you_

Taako feels like he’s phasing through the bed and the floor and reality itself. His atoms could be dispersing to join the universe this very minute and it would feel the same. He manages to at least pull his fingers back from the brink of stardust to send a reply. And maybe it’s too much too fast, but it feels right. He hopes he won’t regret this in the morning.  
  
 _miss you too_

* * *

The rest of the week trails by like it’s _daring_ Kravitz to get comfortable in what’s blooming with Taako. He works, goes to class, practices for upcoming concerts, and spends long moments at each task completely unfocused on what’s before him. Peppered between are furtive texts and fantasy facetime with Taako, whom, Kravitz admits loudly in his own head, has captivated his whole heart. He thinks Taako feels the same, but he doesn’t want to push it to find out. It's going so well. 

He tells that other wicked voice in his head, the one that wants to add an ominous ‘too well’ onto that previous thought, to kindly fuck off.

When Saturday comes, he can barely do anything except vibrate. He vibrates the whole time he picks out his outfit--a black utility kilt with some chains and a raven skull on the belt, combat boots. He keeps his locs loose, pulled over one shoulder, as they fall naturally given the one side of his head is shorn. He stands there without a shirt on, trying to decide what else to wear. He could lean hardcore into his goth look, or wear a frumpy sweater. It’s getting cold out. But Taako seemed to like his forearms; it was hard to forget those lingering looks.

Kravitz pulls on a semi-tight, cream-white sweater with a black rib cage design on the front, and imagines a scenario where Taako can take it off to see his forearms that way. Then immediately collapses in on himself like a dry leaf underfoot. He takes it off and puts on a tank top on in case he gets hot. It’s not a good idea to presume too much about where the night might lead. 

But, god, it’s equally silly how chaste his thoughts can be when there’s ample opportunity for them to be anything but. Kravitz imagines them curled together in Taako’s bed, sleeping soundly, waking up in his arms. His face feels hot and he’s already regretting the sweater. 

Before he can second guess and doubt and evaporate from how fast his heart is beating, he grabs his gaming bag and vibrates the entire way to Taako and Lup’s apartment.

It’s on the way there, literally pulling into their apartment parking lot, when he remembers he should bring a food item. He parks, and shoots Taako a text.

_I might be late. Forgot to grab something to bring for food. Anything you need?_

As he waits, he feels guilty that his immediate thought is a vibrant hope that Taako will tell him not to worry about it. He drums his fingers awkwardly on the steering wheel. Checks his appearance in the rearview mirror.

> _you’re not allowed to worry about that shit, just bring yourself and the night’s complete_

Kravitz smiles so big he’s sure the person getting out of their car next to him with groceries thinks he’s a weirdo.

Moments later, when the door opens, it’s Lup who answers with a great big pretty grin. She coos over his sweater and asks where he got it. He tells her his other mom made it. She puts in an order, but she wants hers to have the arm bones, too.

He strides in, feeling good. The place smells amazing, and he wonders what Taako--and Lup of course, can’t forget about her--has cooked for the evening. The folks he hadn’t seen since last time respond to his entry like they had missed him. What a rush. Magnus and Julia, Avi and Johann. He feels welcome, and like this is something he will look forward to every weekend, forever. Lucretia is especially happy to see him, and goes in for a hug. He calls her sis and they sink into a conversation about her week. She’s a journalism major, and secret aspiring sci fi author, he discovers. He wants to set aside time to hang out with her more.

All the while, he keeps his attention extended for signs of Taako, who is not visible at the moment. Where is he? Kravitz sets his game bag by the table Barry has setup, and stands around, nervous, heart hammering, desperately wishing he had paid attention to his initial apprehension about wearing a fucking sweater.

Then, Taako is there. Everything else falls away like it’s a turning page in a pop-up book, and all that’s on the next page is Taako. He walks into the room, but as far as Kravitz is concerned, he appears there like a legend, like something ephemeral and beautiful and otherworldly. His hair is in a low messy braid. He’s wearing loose, flowy pants, and a cropped t-shirt with the album cover of an 80’s hair metal band. _Poison, look what the cat dragged in_. Kravitz laughs. 

Taako drifts over to Kravitz and pushes him gently in the shoulder. “Don’t bully me. It was either food or laundry today.”

Kravitz takes Taako’s hand, and stands there stupidly, not knowing what to say. Then Taako’s fingers curl into his hand, and he leads him into the kitchen and away from the others. It’s not super private, but they’re not out in the open anymore. Kravitz catches sight of the amazing spread of food that has been prepared, and he remembers he’s barely eaten today. Vibrating into orbit takes up a lot of time. There’s a soft tug of his hand, and his focus narrows back on Taako and his luminous green eyes and his quirked mouth.

“You ready to play this dumb game or what?” he says.

Kravitz smiles, or perhaps has been smiling this whole time. His face hurts from it. “Oh right. Almost forgot that’s really why I’m here.”

* * *

Taako snorts. “Why else would you come here? Oh, that’s right. Me.” He puts an empty plate in Kravitz’s hands. “Dish out before you lose out. I’m not makin’ extra meatballs for you this time, hot stuff. You know, ‘cos I’ll be busy pretending to be a gay fantasy elf in a nightmare world of Barry’s imagination.”

Kravitz takes the plate, with an adorably infatuated smile. “You’re already gay.”

“You’re damn right.” Taako also grabs a plate that he has already made for himself, and heads for the gaming table in the living room, where Lup has had Celtic harp music playing all afternoon to ‘set the mood.’

Barry is at the table, setting up his little DM area. He has his dice organized in neat rows according to number of sides, and his plastic containers of colorful stones and miniatures are opened and ready to go. There are stacks of cards, and a notebook with a pencil and colored pens, and Jesus is this guy a fuckin’ goober or what. He’s also probably one of the best friends Taako has ever had, so he lets it all slide.

Taako leans back to fish through the nearby end table drawer, and whips out his already dog-eared, disorderly stack of character sheets with all of their wrinkles and smudges. He begins to look them over as he eats, seeing words but not understanding them totally. _Saving throw, what?_ As other people file into the apartment, he realizes this is a good excuse to not have to deal with small talk, so he stares downward, and keeps trying to make it make sense. Kravitz explained a lot of it to him last time, but he had been a little, uh, distracted.

“You ready, bud?” asks Barry. He sets up the DM screen to block Taako’s view of all of his nerd shit.

“Uh, nope. But I got this.” He grins, and pops a homemade chicken nugget bite into his mouth.

“G-good, good.” Barry’s voice trembles a little and he’s sweating like he ran a marathon. Poor guy is perpetually nervous. “Do you need a… need a player’s handbook?”

“A what now?” Taako asks, and then Kravitz sits across from him and he forgets what he was even saying.

Kravitz takes out his character sheet and dice, and puts a mini figure on the map. He has all of the correct foods on his plate (the foods Taako made), and has pushed the sleeves of his sweater up to show off those inked forearms again. Very sexy of him. 

“Did you ever come up with a name?” Kravitz asks. He dips a chicken nugget in the homemade BBQ sauce.

“It’s a tossup between Justin and Taaako with three As. I don’t really give a shit so, you pick.”

Kravitz has to turn away and cover his mouth so he doesn’t spit food everywhere from laughter. When he recovers, he says, “Ta-ah-ako? _Justin?_ Does he like to hunt and fish?”

Taako laughs and slaps the table. “He likes to fish. He also bakes the best fuckin’ pecan pie so don’t even trip.”

They both laugh, and then Barry asks, a little incredulously, “Is your high elf wizard wearing camo-patterned robes, Taako?”

“Hell no! Absolutely not. Also, weird take you two have about the name Justin. It could be my middle name and you’re here draggin’ it like a pair of assholes.”

“Is it?” Kravitz asks, looking a little worried, and Taako wants to lean over and kiss him.

“Anyway, check it, he’s wearing crushed velvet purple wizard robes with stars all over it. You know, like those classic heavy metal wizards?”

“With the long beard?” 

“Not yet, he’s only level one, so he’s gotta build up to it. That’s how it works right?” 

“Yes, that’s exactly how it works.” Kravitz shakes his head and grins to himself. He’s doing that a lot, Taako notices, and he’s about ninety-nine percent sure it’s because of Taako’s abundance of charm. 

When the game finally gets going, Taako finds it relatively easy to do the roleplaying part. He’s had to pretend to be all kinds of people over his life, which is not something he wants to dwell on at the moment. Kravitz has his character stand next to his, and Taako’s just now realizing this is an incredibly genius way to flirt. 

“So, uh. Maybe, uh—” Barry begins gracefully. “Maybe you just met, or maybe you’ve worked together before, that’s up to you. But you’re all together at the Craigslist tree looking for work.”

There’s laughter and jokes, then they have to go around and describe their characters and how they got there, which is very boring until it gets to Taako. He drops his character’s whole deal on the spot. No forethought, just verbal shitpost improv about how Taaako’s been on the run and is out of gold coins or whatever shit they use here as currency. Kravitz’s character also sounds hot, with his black brigantine leather armor (he makes a mental note to look up what that means later) and cloak. He tries to imagine him with those arms, drawing back the string of a bow.

“You don’t see anything that interests you this time,” Barry continues, unknowingly contradicting Taako’s fantasy, “so you head into the tavern for ales or whatever. You guys can mingle here a bit if you want, or we can start the story.”

“Depends on how late y’all wanna stay,” says Lup.

Taako looks across to Kravitz, who stares down at his character sheet. The harp music drifts into sharper focus over the table’s chatter, and Taako thinks it’s because Kravitz is just so goddamn handsome that the beauty of everything else around him is amplified. _Holy shit, really?_ What a fucking sap he’s becoming. Kravitz finally meets his gaze, and they both give each other a soft smile.

“I don’t think anyone’s leaving tonight so let’s go buckwild,” Lup says when the discussion is done, and Taako tries to ignore that she’s staring very pointedly at him and Kravitz.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go after this! I listened to Adagio in G Minor by Tomaso Albinoni while writing the bedroom scene. Good mood music. As always thank you so much for reading and for your lovely comments. <3
> 
> Little warning for descriptions of a mild anxiety attack in the second section.

Kravitz tries his best to keep up with the banter in this well-established group of friends. It ain’t easy, and even Taako’s showing off to a degree that makes him feel off his game. He can’t help but smile, though. It’s good, they’re _good_. Good for the soul, at least. His heart flutters with hope that he can be part of this family too someday. 

Taako catches him smiling wistfully, and winks when they make eye-contact. Kravitz’s immediate response is to smile even bigger and look away like the bashful schoolboy with a crush that he is. Everyone else is laughing about a funny voice Barry does for a gerblin. He disguises his lovestruck grin by laughing along, though he knows Taako is on to him.

The roleplay parts are more difficult for Kravitz than he thought they’d be. Might have something to do with performance anxiety in a group of friends he wants to impress. Or, perhaps how surprisingly _good_ Taako is at it. Kravitz thought he’d be the smooth one here. He does it for his job. But no—Taako’s a natural at this. Almost to the point that he steals the spotlight, but no one seems to complain.They knew what they were in for with him at the table, and he’s arguably the most entertaining of the lot. How is Kravitz going to confess that he might also have a thing for Taako’s character? It’s all the free-range flirting he directs at Kravitz’s character. Kravitz wants to just reach across the table, grab his cheeks, and kiss him. Make it official. _Flirt with me for real._

Lup is the one who seems to be making a concerted effort to keep Kravitz focused on the action, for which he’s equal parts thankful and dismayed by. Her character is… somewhat unnerving to say the least. A bard in class, but a clown in style. That’s how she put it after indicating that her character was juggling flaming skulls.

Before they are set to enter a cave, there is a break for snacks and bathroom. Kravitz is hot as fuck in the sweater, so he stands from the table and heads outside as the others disperse. He glances at Taako on the way out. It’s an obvious invitation, but one Taako can ignore without hurting his feelings. He’s not being too direct. He’s far too nervous for that.

Outside, the crisp autumn cold is a blessing. Kravitz exhales a cloud of breath and feels the sweat cool on the back of his neck. He shucks the sweater anyway, tossing it to the hammock. It joins the mass of pillows that weigh down the striped canvas. He straightens out the black tank top he’d worn underneath, and thinks how he really doesn’t want Taako to sleep out here tonight. 

The door slides open seconds later, and Taako joins him, a throw blanket wrapped around his shoulders. Kravitz must fight off an intense fear that he smells bad from all the sweating, but he smiles all the same.

Taako pauses, gaze wandering over Kravitz’s shoulders and arms, then he moves over to rest his elbows back against the balcony rail, leaning into it. The blanket and its mosaic of colorful patterns drapes around him like a present Kravitz wants to unwrap. 

Taako cuts a glance upward at Kravitz. “Did you—”

“—Is that—” Kravitz interrupts, and cringes at himself. 

Taako waves away the awkwardness like a professional. “After you, Spooky.”

“I was going to ask if that’s where you slept last time,” he says, gesturing vaguely toward the hammock. “But that’s a stupid question. Where else—I mean, I’d hope you wouldn’t sleep on the ground out here.” He scuffs his foot on said concrete balcony floor, like it makes a difference. His calves are cold now. What was the point of wearing a skirt?

“Yeah,” Taako says, without regard to which statement he’s responding. His eyes are dark. His fingers grip the railing.

Kravitz swallows thickly. “Um… It was really—”

Taako bridges the distance in a mere step. The blanket slips off his shoulders and falls to pool at his feet. His hands rest gently on Kravitz’s chest, and he’s right there, mouth so very close. 

“Can—I-is this?” Taako says in a whisper, green eyes vibrant in the lamplight that spills onto the balcony. He licks his lips absently.

Kravitz responds by kissing him. One firm, lingering press of his lips to his. Taako’s fingers curl into his tank top, and that small movement of need sets Kravitz right back into _hot as fuck_ territory. Not the uncomfortable, sweltering heat of too many people crammed into an apartment, but the pleasant, spreading warmth of—of… it’s too soon to call it anything more than infatuation, is it? Intense affection. A small, but bright yearning for more of this. However it’s defined, Kravitz doesn’t want it to stop. His hand comes to rest gently on Taako’s face, cradling his cheek.

Taako not only holds the kiss, but parts his lips to kiss him deeper, which is more than Kravitz could ever expect at this moment. His eyes close tighter, and he breathes through his nose so the kiss doesn’t have to stop for it. He’s sure he makes some kind of depraved sound when he feels Taako’s arms wrap fully around him. But he doesn’t care, he’s kissing Taako. Taako’s tongue is in his mouth, his hands are kneading his back. Their hips—

A shrill, sudden whistle pierces the moment. Kravitz opens an eye and tilts so he can see the culprit and perhaps prepare to aim pillows at them. Taako’s kisses wander along his jaw and down his neck, which makes it very difficult to focus on the person standing on the sidewalk below.

“Going for the butt-grab! Nice!” 

Kravitz’s hands freeze. Specifically, they freeze while fully palming Taako’s ass, which he only vaguely was aware he’d been doing. Taako makes a little noise, part needy, part annoyed, that makes him squeeze instead of letting go like he really should.

Taako pulls his mouth away from Kravitz’s neck. “Fuck off, Magnus!” 

“Left something in my car!”

A car door shuts, and Magnus’s footsteps head for the stairwell. 

Taako hasn’t backed away from Kravitz, but he isn’t kissing him anymore. Kravitz moves a strand of hair from Taako’s face and kisses his forehead.

“We can say our characters went off to make out and won’t be joining the adventure,” Kravitz says.

Taako snorts. “Hell no. I was kicking ass in there; I wanna keep playing.” Then he adds, before slipping back inside— “But _ch’yeah_ , this,” he gestures between them, “is canon, baby.”

Kravitz stands a moment longer, lets that settle in over him, and he sighs, happy.

* * *

Taako pauses at the sliding door and glances back over his shoulder. Kravitz is picking up the blanket and his funky ribcage sweater with a far away look of contentment in his eyes. He moves as if dazed, and all Taako can think about is how he’d been the one to put him in that state. _Natch_ , but also… _holy shit_. Taako slips inside, leaving the door cracked, then heads straight to the bathroom. On his way, he avoids Magnus all together.

Emotions ram together at high speeds like ten trolly problems rigged to explode no matter what he chooses. His heart feels tight in his chest. His skin tingles; flares both hot and cold. His lips still register the pressure of the kiss, so he touches them like he’s in a fucking movie. It’s all too much, and Taako relished every moment of it. So why is he stalling in here freaking the fuck out? He splashes water on his face. It helps a little, eases a slow exhale through his lips as he glares at himself in the mirror.

Out there are relationships, and his own is quickly becoming one of them. Is he ready for all that? Avi and Johann have been sitting together practically since kindergarten. Barry and Lup look at each other like they invented love. Hurley and Sloane have weekly date nights. Magnus and Julia are already fuckin’ married. So coupley. So stable, all of them. His lip curls. He squeezes his eyes shut. Why is it that the moment something like this is unfolding for him, he wants to jettison himself into the sun? 

He breathes evenly, trying to calm his nerves. Kravitz triggers absolutely zero of his alarms. His own sister seemed to think this was meant to be. _The fear is coming from inside the house._

“Yeah, I fuckin’ know that,” he mutters to himself.

A beat later, there’s a knock at the door.

“Yeah?” he says, voice cracking hideously as he pats his face dry with a towel.

“Taako? Are you all right?” comes Kravitz’s low voice and all of its concern and gentleness. 

Taako clenches his fist, nails digging into his palm, then opens the door. He’s ready with a cool, coy grin as Kravitz comes into view. “Yeah, duh, after that kiss?”

Kravitz ducks his head slightly as he smiles, eyes averted. He has put his sweater back on and covered up those nice arms. They aren’t big enough to make him feel like a lazy bitch for not picking up a single free weight since highschool when he had nothing better to do while waiting for Magnus to quit flirting with Julia at _Fantasy Lifetime Fitness_. But they’re still defined, and he wants them wrapped around him later. 

_Despite_ the anxiety, he realizes. Okay, progress. Maybe that’s just how it’s gonna be at first. A little buoyant feeling settles over him that he can’t quite name, but he’s not a loser so he doesn't psychoanalyze it further.

“They’re starting,” Kravitz says. “Were you--”

“Let ‘em. C’mere.” Taako reaches for Kravitz’s hand and tugs him into the bathroom. Kravitz acquiesces with mild confusion on his face. Taako shuts the door, but is sure to stand so he’s not blocking Kravitz’s ability to leave if he so chooses. He just wants this to be private, and he’s sure his sister’s sonic hearing is in full effect.

“Listen, there is something. Uh...Magnus kinda spooked me out there. I don’t normally… do that sorta thing. Yanno,” Taako says, waving his hand around. 

“Kiss on your balcony?”

Taako nods. 

“I’m sorry if I--’

“I fuckin’ loved it, don’t even trip.” Taako picks a bit of red lint from Kravitz’s sweater. Probably from the hammock. He knows that Kravitz is looking at him with caring concern, and so avoids making eye contact. It’s not because the backs of his eyes prickle. He’s trying to be open and honest about his feelings, and he can’t be thrown off his guard. “Someone else acknowledged it, right? I thought we were alone, and--I know it makes no sense. We went on a date. Magnus is a friend.”

Kravitz takes Taako’s hand. “I think I understand.” He’s very close, Taako realizes, but he doesn’t feel alarmed by it. It’s nice for him to be so close. “Someone you care about caught you in a vulnerable moment.”

Taako squeezes Kravitz’s hand at the same time those words squeeze his heart. He fights the urge to deny it with a joke. See? Growth. “Yeah, maybe that. Don’t get me wrong, I deserved that shit. Not like I haven’t given his PDA-prone ass a hard time before.”

There’s an outburst of laughter from the living room. They both are quiet for a few beats afterward, staring down at their clasped hands.

“Do you wanna stay over?” Taako asks in his ‘fucked up with emotion’ voice.

Kravitz hesitates to the point that Taako finally does look up at him. A muscle in his jaw flexes, and his eyes are so dark brown Taako feels like he could fall into them and be among the stars. “Yes, I do,” Kravitz says, “but not if it means you sleep on the hammock.” He balks at that. “I mean, I’m not implying--I can sleep on the--”

“You can sleep in my bed,” Taako says like he’s offering him half of a sandwich. “With me. But no funny business tonight, comprendes? We got there fast, but now I wanna take it slow.” 

“Like way down in Kokomo?” Kravitz asks, like it’s the most sensible response. 

Taako freezes. What an absolute dork. He’s so infuriatingly hot when he’s like this. “Oh my god. Get out!” Taako says through incredulous laughter, playfully pushing at him. “Don’t make me fuckin’ associate tonight with that song!”

Kravitz is also laughing, and it’s a big, happy, belly laugh that crinkles the corners of his eyes and rounds the apples of his cheeks. He wraps his arms around Taako and Taako sinks into the embrace. His whole body relaxes. The rest of the night could stay like this and it’d be fine by him.

“I’m glad you said that,” Kravitz says, and kisses the side of Taako’s head. “We’re on the same page.”

Taako smiles. The edge of anxiety is still there, but it’s not as sharp. More of a spoon. _“Aruba, Jamaica,”_ he sings softly, _“ooh I wanna take ya to Bermuda, Bahama…”_

Kravitz chuckles. “That does sound nice actually.”

“That’s how the Beach Boys get you.”

There’s a bit of an irritated knock at the door. “Yo, you two planning on coming back?” It’s Lup, of course. “We can only stall this gerblin motherfucker so long.”

“Yeah, be there in a sec,” Taako responds. He then looks at Kravitz. “We’ll talk more later.”

Kravitz nods.

“Maybe kiss more?”

Kravitz nods enthusiastically. 

Taako grins. “You can kiss me now real quick, if you want.”

“I do.” Kravitz leans in does so. It’s sweet and soft. Taako’s stomach swoops, then it’s over, but the happiness remains.

They walk back to the living room together, and return to their seats. Lup elbows Taako and leans in.

“Everything cool?” she asks.

“Yeah, actually,” he says. “Everything’s cool.”

* * *

The night begins to wind down, and Kravitz’s body grows heavy like he could fall asleep right here in this uncomfortable folding chair. With one stifled yawn after another, it’s taking all of his mental energy to focus on anything but eventually climbing into bed. _Taako’s_ bed. The fact that it’s a thing that is definitely happening should be enough to keep him wide awake with nervous energy. But no, he feels relaxed. Sluggish even. Normally he’s so wired from stress that he forgoes the ‘getting tired’ phase all together and just soars right into a restless coma. 

He really shouldn’t have taken such a heavy course load this semester. All the hours of work on top of it don’t help. But it’s twice now that this place — with these folks — has activated this contented part of his brain he thought he lost the second he hit middle school. There’s not a worry in his mind. Finals, the concert next week, preparing for an assload of holiday ghost tours... It’s all so far away. That’s a dangerous feeling, one he could get used to. He glances across at Taako, and his knees feel weak, which is a feat considering he’s sitting down. The genuine _ease_ that comes over him. It’s like he can feel his life shifting, like music, modulating to a relative major key, and he’s so relieved to finally be here. 

* * *

Every clever quip and self-effacing joke that passes Taako’s lips (usually at the expense of whatever poor NPC they encounter) makes Kravitz fall more and more under his spell. He can let down his guard. He can laugh his ass off and tell dumb jokes. No one expects more from him here. It’s a nice, safe little harbor.

He hopes and prays that this lasts. 

They finally wrap up the night with a tense scene--Kravitz, Avi, Taako, and Magnus are captured by a horrifying giant spider in a streak of shitty saving throws. Lucretia, Julia, and Lup come to the rescue. Together they defeat the drow guy who’s clearly based on someone they all know from their past.

“I can’t believe he invited me to his wedding,” Taako says, both in and out of character, apparently. “I was consistently mean to him.”

“You’re consistently mean to everyone,” Lup says sweetly. 

Taako wrinkles his nose at her.

“Are you going?” Avi asks.

“Uh, not anymore,” Barry says, voice more raspy and gruff than usual from talking all night and doing various voices. “The wedding’s off. He’s dead as fuck in a pit because Taako blasted him with magic fucking missile.” 

“Bummer,” Johann says. “Magic Brian wasn’t so bad. I kinda liked hearing him talk. It was, like, bad? But in a funny way. You know?”

“That’s just Barry’s terrible German accent,” Taako says.

“All right, _all right_ ,” Barry says and scrubs his face, fingers pushing up his glasses. “It’s late, I’ve been bullied enough by you dipshits.”

“We love you, Barry,” Lup drawls.

“Sure you do.”

And so the game ends for the night. Since no alcohol was served, there’s no need to hold anyone over. Offers to help clean are rebuffed, and goodbye hugs linger. Avi and Johann make plans to visit Kravitz at his museum, and Lucretia bums a ride with them to her place. Soon it’s quiet and dim, the absence of friendly banter not a merciful thing, but a bittersweet one. Taako shoos Kravitz off to get ready for bed while he helps Lup and Barry put the tables and chairs away. 

It’s there in the bathroom that the nerves decide to rattle Kravitz awake. He really, really likes Taako. A huge amount. The more time he spends with him, the more time he wants to spend with him. It’s a feedback loop that he hopes never ends. Taako’s laugh, his clever tongue, his soft looks slipped in throughout the night when he thought Kravitz wasn’t looking. And now he’s going to share the same bed with him? He’s never this lucky. He wasn’t even interested in dating before this. 

Calming breaths. It’s okay. _It’s just sleep._ Kravitz rubs his fingers over the stubble along his jaw, assessing his flaws while his heart hammers in his chest. He works through his nightly routine with jittery hands. Brushes his teeth, cleans his face, moisturizes his skin (the lotion smells nice, he hopes Taako likes it). He slips into a t-shirt and pajama pants, carefully tucks his locs in a wrap, and he’s done. And quite possibly _done for_ very soon. He heads out into the hallway and over to Taako’s bedroom, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone, not wanting to be perceived. Bedtime Kravitz was a vulnerable form of Kravitz not meant for human eyes.

And here he is again — alone in Taako’s room. One of the bedside table lamps is on. Kravitz stands there in its glow, taking in more of his surroundings than he had allowed himself the last time. It’s definitely not a tidy room, but also not a hurricane warning zone. There’s a bit of controlled chaos going on. Small and filled with all manner of collections — art, accessories, piles of clothing, shelves of knick-knacks, a couple of Starbucks cups, sea shells on the windowsill, a laptop, an old TV, shoes, candles. Books, books, and more books. He’s amidst the bare elements that make up the chemistry of Taako’s life, the notes that form him measure by measure. 

“You gonna get in or am I gonna have to drag you in with me?” Taako says from behind, a smile in his voice.

Kravitz turns and Taako is standing there, hair in a messy knot, wearing dark blue pajamas with little stars all over, and... glasses. His heart skips a few more beats. He’s not really sure how he can hold himself together. Even his teeth grind as he pushes back the force of emotion that comes over him. Kravitz settles for something quippy, aiming to make Taako laugh.

“You look so intelligent.” 

“Shut up.” Taako closes the door, and turns back around solemnly. “Don’t tell anyone okay? It was a pain in the ass to hide this last time,” he reaches for a fan and turns it on, filling the room with its soft hum, “and by pain in the ass, I mean I accidentally slept in my contacts.”

Kravitz smiles. What an honor, what a blessing. “Your secret’s safe with me.” 

They settle into the bed and Taako turns off the lamp, sinking them into relative darkness. There’s a light clattering sound of Taako’s glasses being placed on the table while Kravitz’s eyes adjust. Soon they’re both facing each other under the blankets, stripes of muted light laying over them from the streetlamp outside.

“You wanna sleep or talk a little?” Taako asks, voice soft. They find each other’s hand and thread their fingers together. “Kiss?”

Kravitz chuckles. “Do we have time for all three?”

“Depends, I’m a helluva kisser.” It’s dark but Kravitz is pretty sure Taako just waggled his eyebrows.

“And talker,” Kravitz teases.

“Rude.”

“As much as I would love to kiss, I’m actually really tired. Mind if we just cuddle and sleep?”

Taako scoots forward and drapes his arm around Kravitz. “Mmmhm, I’m down for that.” 

Kravitz wraps his arm around Taako, the other hooked under his pillow. Taako tucks his head under Kravitz’s chin, so he nuzzles into Taako’s soft hair and sighs. They’re quiet for a while, lulled by the lazy rhythm of each other’s breathing. Kravitz begins to doze off when he feels Taako embrace him tighter.

“ _Fuck,_ ” Taako mutters through a shaky breath. “Haven’t been hugged in forever. Not like this. Wasn’t sure if anyone would have me. Or want me, for that matter.”

The honesty of his statement surprises Kravitz wide awake. He reflexively grips Taako more tightly. “Taako, I—”

“Just tellin’ it like it is, my man, no need to get fuckin’ sentimental about it.”

Kravitz’s brow furrows at that, but he says nothing. He senses Taako needs space to feel vulnerable without commentary. Instead, he lightly traces his fingertips up and down Taako’s back. His mother used to do it to him whenever he couldn’t sleep, so he supposed it was a nurturing impulse. Taako’s breathing began to draw out before long, slow and deep. He’d been fidgeting with the buttons of his starry nightshirt before, but now his hand falls still, and rolls so that the back of it rests against Kravitz’s chest. 

Kravitz’s eyes close, both overwhelmed by how he feels right now, and dead exhausted. He gradually stops crawling his fingers over Taako’s back, and settles into slumber himself. 

“What’re you gonna do after college?”

Taako’s voice jolts Kravitz awake. He’s not sure how much time has passed, but it’s still dark. Somewhat bewildered, he shifts slightly and Taako rolls to his back to look up at the ceiling. 

“Um… I’d like to be a conductor. That means graduate school, I suppose, if I want an edge.”

“That’s cool. I’m gonna start a restaurant,” Taako says.

“Oh yeah?”

Taako snorts. “In my dreams. Like I can afford that shit.”

“You never know.”

“I know.” Taako sighs. “This is stupid but. I just want people to love me. ‘Hey, there’s Taako! His empalmes changed my life!’”

“There’s nothing stupid about wanting to be loved.”

Taako falls silent. He keeps his gaze upward, and blinks a few times. Now that Kravitz’s eyes have adjusted, he can see clearly the tilt of Taako’s brows and the downward tug at the corner of his mouth. Kravitz finds Taako’s hand again.

“I’d like to try your empalmes.”

Taako smiles. Kravitz wants more than anything to kiss him. Taako squeezes Kravitz’s hand and softly responds with: “We should sleep.”

They should. But—


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who left me comments and kudos, to everyone who supported me on Tumblr and Discord. I could not have made it this far without your support. It has been difficult behind the scenes, so I appreciate you. <3 
> 
> CW: For mild/brief mentions of arousal in this chapter, but nothing sexual happens.

_They should. But—_

But Taako doesn’t want to sleep. He wants to lean over and kiss Kravitz more than anything. Sleep can happen eventually, sure, and he’s still one hundo percent certain about his boundaries. Kissing, though—that's more than okay. He turns to his side, and props up on his elbow. “I’m too awake now.”

Kravitz doesn’t shift his position. He looks up at Taako with that soft and open gaze. “I need to apologize.”

Taako lifts an eyebrow. “What for?”

“For, uh, saying _‘you never know.’_ That’s not very helpful. One of those knee jerk things, you know. But I meant I wouldn’t want you to give up on a dream like that. It’s a nice dream.”

Taako’s chest tightens from some strong emotion he’s not ready to name. Kravitz doesn’t need to apologize for shit like that. Taako didn’t even consider how it’s helpful or not, or whatever. It was a nice sentiment, and they’re both tired. 

“Listen to you, already supporting my dumb dreams. You’re a bit of a sap, eh?” Taako says, teasing. Deflecting his own urge to be sweet.

“Yeah, well, hate to say it, but if you want to be with me, you’re gonna have to face the unbearable fact that I want to support you.”

Taako narrows his eyes at Kravitz, but feels himself inching closer instead of shrinking away. “You saying you’re a good boyfriend then?”

“Er…well.” Kravitz seems to collapse in on himself slightly, his manner of blushing whole-body, like he’s some kinda shy star. Taako wants him to go supernova in his arms, someday. “Well, I...would do my best to be,” he says. 

“The job’s yours if you’re up for it.”

Kravitz laughs, and the world definitely knew peace for like those entire ten seconds. “I am. Lucky for you.”

“Lucky for _moi?_ ” Taako grins. “You’re the one who should feel lucky, my dude. You’ve only seen me three times and I’ve let you in this room for two of those.”

Mild alarm passes over Kravitz’s features, but it’s a bit dark in the room, and Taako isn’t wearing his glasses, so it could’ve been a cringe. Anyway, it’s just a joke. 

“Has it really only been three times?” Kravitz asks.

“Yepperooni.”

“Then, _yeah_ , lucky for you.” He pokes Taako’s chest. “I don’t normally accept boyfriend status from someone I’ve seen three times.”

Taako snorts, catching his hand. “Touché. Hey, here’s an idea. Why are we arguing about this when we could be kissing?”

Kravitz smiles and slings his other forearm over his eyes. The wing feathers of one of his tattoos wrap under his arm like they might tickle his armpit, and Taako wonders if anyone has ever made that connection before. He’s mildly jealous of anyone who has, especially from this vantage point. Propped up in bed, looking down at him. He leans forward to press a tentative, smiling kiss against Kravitz’s lips. 

Kravitz’s arm immediately falls away from shielding his eyes and wraps around Taako’s back, pulling him closer. He returns Taako’s kiss, matching his tenderness at first. Taako has to keep himself propped on one elbow to angle the kiss better, but he’s starting to tremble. Emotions stir stronger, coaxing Taako to press a little harder, to open his lips for that soft swipe of Kravitz’s tongue. Soon he’ll fully collapse onto Kravitz like an overbaked souffle, too weak from all the heat to stay aloft. 

Kravitz saves him the trouble, and slides his other arm around him to pull him down all the way. Taako makes a soft sound in his throat, and lets himself relax into the embrace. He’d never admit it to anyone how much he craves this more than anything. To be held. To feel warmth and pressure all around him and a steady beating heart against his. 

The kiss inevitably grows more firm and eager-driven. Kravitz’s hands sweep up and down Taako’s back, slide up into his hair, and—boy is he getting noisy—Taako groans. Or maybe that was Kravitz, or maybe both of them. Doesn’t matter. Good kiss, brain gone. _Sweet Fantasy Jesus_ , how nice it feels to have a secret need met like this, how it drives Taako to kiss him elsewhere. His jaw, his neck, behind his ear, back to his lips. Because Kravitz is responding to him like he also needs this, like he wants Taako just as much. Like Taako fulfills something he’s gone too long without. That almost makes his heart ache more, to think he can invoke such feelings in another person. It catches him with such force that he breaks the kiss, slowly, and lets out a shaky breath as he gazes down at Kravitz.

Kravitz’s eyes are closed, and his lips are kiss-swollen, but he’s smiling softly and seems utterly content. Taako swallows down a lump in his throat. 

“You’re, uh, really somethin’ special you know that?” Taako says. 

Kravitz’s eyes flutter open, and Taako’s grateful that he’s nearsighted so all of the details of Kravitz’s face are clear, even with the dim glow the streetlamp outside affords them. 

“Come here,” Kravitz says, and pulls Taako down so that Taako’s head rests against his chest. 

Taako settles there, arm slung across Kravitz’s stomach, and lets all of his senses become overtaken by the feel of his body, the scent of his skin, and sound of his breathing. Maybe this won’t last, maybe it will. It’s hard for Taako to imagine anything this good _staying_ good. Someday Kravitz is going to move away, or get tired of Taako’s personality, or just disappear. 

_Ugh._ What the hell. Why is it when he’s content, it leads to the most depressing as shit thoughts? He realizes he’s scowling when he notices a bulge under the blanket, a sign that Kravitz’s body had responded to the kissing. He smirks, huffs a laugh that he disguises as a cough, but keeps that observation to himself. Not like Taako has room to talk there. He’s keeping his own hips shifted back so he doesn’t accidentally tell on himself. The boundary will stay even if it means he has to fall asleep frustrated. The heat of the moment is already fading anyway, thanks to his shittastic brain. He holds Kravitz a little tighter to spite it all.

“I’m gonna make you so much breakfast tomorrow,” Taako mutters.

Kravitz chuckles and it reverberates pleasantly against Taako’s ear. “Can’t wait.”

They settle into a warm, sleepy silence. Taako’s a little hypnotized by the rhythmic rise-and-fall of Kravitz’s chest.

“Tell me what you—” Taako yawns, wide-mouthed and stretching like a cat. “—want.”

Kravitz doesn’t respond at first, and Taako assumes he’s drifting off to sleep, when finally he says very faintly, like he’s on the edge of consciousness, “slurpy... maffles.”

Taako makes an incredulous face, his desperation to know what the fuck a ‘slurpy maffle is’ the only thing keeping him from howling with laughter. Did Kravitz just talk in his sleep? Is a slurpy maffle some kind of haunted Victorian dessert he knows about through work? “S-say what now?”

But there’s no response. Hot boy is completely zonked. Taako resettles and dozes off soon after, while imagining what he’ll invent for breakfast that would fit the moniker of a slurpy maffle.

* * *

The following morning, Taako makes breakfast for Kravitz as promised—homemade waffles drenched in real maple syrup and butter. Slurpy maffles, they’re now called. Kravitz doesn’t remember saying it whatsoever, but they share a good laugh about it as they settle at the table with a groggy Barry and Lup. 

The next weekend goes much the same (with huevos divorciado), and the one after that (cinnamon rolls), and after that (Chilaquiles) until they have a full year of sleepovers and breakfasts and dates and wild and zany game nights under their belts. It was a good year. Taako needed a good year.

It held winter days of studying by the hearth in Kravitz's spooky family home, hot cocoa or tea warming their fingers as they worked independently, but together. In spring, Kravitz told Taako he loves him after returning from a two week trip with the university orchestra. Taako couldn’t go because of midterms, and it had been absolutely terrible. In summer, the D&D crew rented a beach house and had a whole week of late night gaming and afternoon swims and chill vibes on the seaside porch in between. It was during that trip when Taako finally told Kravitz he loves him back. They could see the arc of the Milky Way overhead, the sound of the surf enfolding them in the otherwise pitch dark. He’s not sure why it took facing how small he is in the universe to finally put words to what he felt all this time. He’s a coward, maybe. Or perhaps he couldn’t say it without the entire galaxy as witness, because Kravitz is worth every single star out there, and more. 

In fall, they were swept up in the force of senior year expectations, or in Taako’s case, struggling with major senioritis. _It’s almost over, baby, Taako’s got this._ Kravitz, on the other hand, was gunning to get into Neverwinter University’s Master of Music program, so he was overly busy to a homophobic degree. Taako tried not to pout about it too much. 

It’s winter again, and they’ve finished the first semester of senior year. Taako sits at the large kitchen island of Kravitz’s goth-as-hell home with the Raven Queen herself. The museum is closed for a few days during the holiday season, but she looks as though she just came home from a shift, in her Victorian, high collar silk blouse with pearl buttons. Her hair is done in long twists, half pulled back, and decorated with an antique silver comb styled like a raven with wings spread. She’s going over her plans to convert the home into a bed and breakfast by next fall, and has just asked Taako if he’d be interested in working there as the resident chef. 

Taako blinks rapidly, processing this request. Kravitz is playing the piano in the other room, practicing for a Candlenight’s concert. The smell of roasted rosemary chicken fills the air, and it’s all the best and strangest vibes swirling around him at once. Kravitz’s mother is intimidating. Taako wouldn’t admit that about just anyone. But the fact that she enjoys his cooking enough to offer him the job is hitting him in such a way that he knows should meet with the same measure of gravitas. But he’s so damn jazzed that he launches to his feet with a huge smile.

“Hell yeah, sign me up!”

Her perpetually poised countenance doesn’t break, except for a subtle lift of one perfectly plucked black eyebrow. “Are you up to the task when we inevitably host weddings?”

“Oh, for _sure_. I even have a great assistant in mind.” That would be Ren, of course. Lup could help too, if she’s not too busy with her own sitch.

She smiles--for the first time ever, he thinks--dark red painted lips curling. He sees where Kravitz gets the good looks. “Splendid,” she says. “When I’m ready to interview her I will let you know. The place should be ready to begin receiving guests by next September, and I would like to see menu plans and event courses to approve in the summer. I’ll inform you of our themes before then. You’re welcome to stay in the basement suite on busy weekends. In the event you break my son’s heart, or do not graduate, I will withdraw the offer. Is that understood?”

“Understood loud and clear, madam.” He’s grinning so huge he thinks his face might split.

“You may go.” She waves her hand and begins writing something down in her notebook. “I will clear out before your friends arrive.”

“Thank you, thank you. You won’t regret it.” Taako practically bounces his way into the piano room. Kravitz smiles up to Taako when he approaches, and plays out the last few bars of whatever classical number he’s been working on. 

“Guess who has a job lined up, babeeeyyy!” Taako beams.

Kravitz rises from the piano bench and opens up his arms so that Taako can crush him in an excitable hug. “Told you cooking food for my mother would pay off someday.”

“No shit. It won’t be the same without Lup, but she’s got her own plans.” He shrugs, like it doesn’t mean anything. They’d only been cooking together since they were children, and shared a dream of starting a restaurant someday. So what if she fell in love first and wanted to become an ultra nerd supreme with her fiance. Whatever. They’re still young. Nothing’s stopping them from someday having the restaurant. He’s not bitter. 

Speaking of--

“You ready for the Candlenight’s Murder Mystery party? Lup and Barry said they’ll be here by six to help if you need it.”

“Everything’s set on my part. Practiced with Merlin earlier to make sure he’d be comfortable with his role.”

“As you do.”

“Indeed.” Kravitz kisses Taako, and steps back, spreading his hands. “How do I look?” He’s wearing a dapper Victorian suit with his locs down and swept over one shoulder. It’s the same suit from their very first French Toast date, which makes Taako’s knees go a bit weak before he shakes out of the ‘damn is my boyfriend hot’ trance.

“Like you’re about to host the dorkiest party in town.” Taako grins.

Kravitz straightens his collar. “Right-o.”

Taako steps up closer to him and fixes a loc that had caught on the raven skull pin in his cravat. “Hey, it’s cool. They’re gonna love it. They already love you.”

Kravitz smiles and catches Taako’s hand. “How’d you know I’m so nervous?”

“You look like how I felt the first night I met you. It was the first time they all finally got their collective shit together to make game nights work, so I saw it as a chance to impress everyone with my cooking.” 

“You certainly impressed me.”

“I’ll say. I had to make an entire second batch of meatballs for your ass.”

Kravitz laughs. “You know, I almost didn’t go.”

“That right?”

“There was a work conflict, and to be honest, I didn’t know if I’d fit in.”

Taako nods, because yeah, he now remembers Kravitz mentioning that before. “I almost didn’t come out of my room--Hey, you know what? We avoided the worst timeline. The one where you never met me. We really dodged a bullet there.”

Kravitz rolls his eyes playfully and gives Taako one more kiss before pulling away. “I think we have your sister to thank for that. She’s the one who insisted on me coming.”

“Oh, dang. You’re right.”

“It’s why I’m going to make sure she’s the murderer tonight. I think she’ll like that.”

Taako grins. She absolutely would. 

They finish getting everything prepared moments before the doorbell rings. Kravitz’s mother has disappeared down some upstairs dark corridor, the food is ready to serve, and Kravitz has Merlin perched on his shoulder. Kravitz glances toward Taako with a nervous smile, hand on the doorknob.

“Are you all right, love?” Merlin asks, shifting his clawed feet on Kravitz’s shoulder.

Kravitz chuckles. “Yes. I’m brilliant.”

Taako gives two thumbs up from his place near the kitchen. He’s tied on the apron and is ready to go. This is putting on a show, baby. He’s in his zone. 

Kravitz opens the door to so many smiling faces, and the game begins.  
  
 _the end_


End file.
